One of the fastest growing areas of communications technology is related to automobile network solutions. An increasing number of mobile vehicles are being equipped with wireless communication devices, requiring activation keys and new mobile-phone identification numbers, i.e. telephone numbers, to be loaded into a telematics unit of the vehicle. The process of loading a telephone number into the unit should be as efficient and uncomplicated as possible with alternative ways of setting up when preferred methods are unavailable. One preferred process utilizes over-the-air service provisioning (OTASP) specified in TIA/EIA/IS-683-A (1998), “Over-the-Air Service Provisioning of Mobile Stations in Spread Spectrum Systems.” Another way may be through an air interface function (AIF) with a connection directly to a call center. However, OTASP, AIF, or other processes for activating a telematics unit are not always available or desirable.
It would be beneficial to have another process that would load a telephone number into the telematics unit from the motor vehicle without requiring any additional hardware in the motor vehicle or any communications outside the vehicle. In addition to activating the telematics unit, this process would be able to activate other operations modes within the vehicle, such as activating the mobile phone of the vehicle, initiating a phone call, adjusting vehicle parameters, or adjusting features such as temperature, seat-position or comfort settings.
Therefore, it is the object of this invention to provide a method of activating an in-vehicle telematics unit whereby a vehicle user may input a telephone number or other data into the telematics without connections outside the vehicle. The method would require no over-the-air service provisioning or air interface connections to a service call center and no additional hardware in a mobile vehicle, thereby addressing and overcoming the obstacles and needs described above.